India’s Drug Pricing Authority Sets Prices on 52 More Products

India’s drug pricing authority has placed 52 additional drugs under price control, including treatments for cancer, skin disorders and infection, as part of a program to provide life-saving and essential medicines to the public.

Thirty-two companies — including Cadila Healthcare, Lupin and Merck — are affected by the retail price caps, which are based on specific formulations, strengths and units. However, because the National Pharmaceuticals Pricing Authority didn’t publish the prior price of each drug, it’s difficult to gauge how much the new caps will impact companies.

NPPA’s notice, issued in early December, follows a September decision to limit prices on 43 other essential drugs, including therapies for diabetes and infections.

In July, NPPA imposed price controls on 108 drugs that were not on the essential medicines list. The Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance and the Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India pushed back with a lawsuit claiming NPPA lacks the authority to fix prices on these formulations. The litigation is ongoing (IPRM, October 2014).

NPPA’s notice is available at www.fdanews.com/12-14-NPPA-PricingNotice.pdf. — Jonathon Shacat